Zither.



M. KAHNE.

ZITHER.

APPLICATloN FILED APR. 19. 191s.

1,207,765. Patented 1100.121916.

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MARTIN' KAHNE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ZITHER.

Application filed April 19, 1916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN KAHNE, a subject of the Emperorof Austria-Hungary, residing at Detroit, in the county of /Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zithers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to Zithers, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a novel foldable Zither that may be used for orchestral purposes, the Zither embodying properly arranged groups of strings producing chords, yet permitting of the Zither being played in a simple manner, as by amateurs.

Another object of my invention is to provide a Zither having sets of strings corresponding in part to the reeds of a mouth harmonica. and adapted to be tuned therefrom, and groups of strings corresponding to the strings of a guitar and adapted to be tuned similar to some of the guitar strings for producing certain chords.

A further object of' my invention is to provide a novel musical instrument wherein the parts are constructed with a view of reducing the cost of manufacture and at the same time retain the features by which compactness, durability and ease of assembling are secured.

To these ends, the invention resides in the construction to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will be had vto the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a. plan of a Zither in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the key board or key action of the Zither; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal view of the same; Fig. 4 illustrates in perspective portions of the key board or key action, and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the Zither, on a small scale.

For the convenience of packing or carrying the Zither, the same has been made of two sounding board portions 1 and Q hinged together, as at 3, whereby the sounding board portions 1 and 2 may be folded back to back. The sounding board portion 1 constitutes the bass side of the Zither and the sounding board portion 2 the treble side thereof, the latter being slightly smaller than the former. The bass and treble portions of the Zither have the side edges thereof provided with bridge pieces 4 and 5 and con- Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 92,074.

nected to said bridge pieces in the ordinary and well known manner, preferably by pegs 6, are groups of strings designated C, G, D

and F, each group being composed of sets of strings 7 bearing upon bridges 8 adjacent the bridge pieces 4. The designations C, G, D, and F also indicate the key or pitch to which each group of strings is tuned, and consideringthe group of strings C 0n the treble portion 1, said strings are tuned from a mouth harmonica of the key of C, the exhaie reeds being C, E, G, C, E, G, C, E, G, C; the first C being low and the last C high A set of strings is used in lieu of one string to obtain a. better and louder tone when struck. The strings C on the bass porf tion 2 are tuned after the inhale reeds D, G, B, D, F, A, B, D, F, A, of the harmonica. The group of strings G are tuned by a mouth harmonica of the key of G having exhale reeds G, B, D, G, B, D, G, B, D, G, inhale reeds A, D, Ft, A, C, E, Fili, A, C, E. The group of strings D are tuned by a mouth harmonica of the key ot D having exhale reeds D, Ft, A, D, Ft, A, D, Ft, A, I), inhale reeds E, A, C11, E, G, B, Cit, E, G, B. The group of strings F are tuned by a. mouth harmonica of the key of F having exhale reeds F, A, C, F, A, C, F, A, C, F, inhale reeds G, C, E, G, Bb, D, E, G, Bb, D.

The bass portion 1 of the instrument has an end extension 9 provided with a bridge piece 10 cooperating with the bridge piece 11 at the opposite end of the bass portion 1 in supporting groups of strings generally designated C, G, D and F, each group being composed of parallel strings 12, and by reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that these groups of cords are disposed transversely above the strings 7 of the bass portion 1. The strings 12 are tuned after the strings of a guitar and one group may be for the chord of C, another group for the chord of G and so on, for different chords that may be rendered by a guitar.

Detachably connected to the bass and treble portions 1 and 2 of the Zither, at the hinged edges thereof, by pins 13, or other fastening means, are the feet 15 of a key board or key action, consisting of connected members 14 and 15 superposed relative to the bridge pieces 5. The member 14k has a longitudinal concave seat 16 for double resilient hammer arms 17 which are held upon the member 14, in spaced relation, by the convex lower face 18 of the member 15,

llO

said members being connected by screws 19 or other fastening means. rIhe hammer arms 17 correspond in number to the sets of strings 7 of the bass and treble portions of the Zither and the outer ends of said arms are provided with hammer heads 20 adapted to be pressed into engagement with the sets of strings 7, the hammer heads being of a suilicient siZe to impinge upon the Wires of each set.

The upper face of the member l5 is provided with kerfs or grooves 2l and pivotally supported in each kerf or groove by rods 22 are keys 23 and 2d, one for each hammer arm, with the keys 23 extending over those ends of the hammer arms projecting over the bass portion l and the keys Q-l extending over those ends of the hammer arms extending over the treble portion 2 of the Zither. It is by depressing the outer end of one of the keys that an end of the hammer arm is sprung to place the hammer head thereof in engagement With a set of strings. The rods 22 are mounted in seats 25 longitudinally of the member 15 and said rods are held in place by staples 26 or other fastening means.

lWhen it is desired to fold the Zither for packing or carrying purposes, the key board or key action is bodily removed, and the key board is adapted to rigidly hold the bass and treble portions of the Zither when in position for playing.

it is thought that any player of the Zither or similar musical instrument Will readily realiZe the advantages and merits of my invention, and While in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invent-ion, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is l. A musical instrument comprising bass and treble sounding boards one hinged to the other and provided with strings, and a key board common to the strings and detachably connected thereto.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents nach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents 2. A musical instrument comprising bass and treble sounding boards one hinged to the other, groups of strings on each sounding board, a key board common to the strings, and groups of strings disposed transversely of some of the other strings of said instrument.

3. A Zither comprising bass and treble sounding boards, one hinged to the other and provided with strings, a detachable bar common to the strings and hammers and keys projecting from the longitudinal edges of said bar.

4. A Zither comprising bass and treble sounding boards provided with strings, strings disposed transversely of the strings of the bass sounding board of said Zither, a bar connected to the bass and treble sounding boards, and individual hammers and keys on said bar extending above the strings of the bass and treble sounding boards.

A key board adapted for a Zither comprising connected superposed hammer supporting bars, double hammer arms clamped betiveen said bars, and keys pivoted in one of said bars and engaging said hammer arms.

6. A key board adapted for a Zither comprising superposed hammer supporting bars, one piece hammer arms bet-Ween said bars and having the ends thereof projecting outwardly, and keys pivotally held by one of said bars and corresponding in number to the ends of said hammer arms.

7. A Zither comprising sounding boards provided with groups of strings, each group being composed of sets of strings tuned in unison with the notes of a harmonica, hammers adapted to impinge upon each set of strings, and groups of strings tansversely of some of the other strings.

In testimony whereof l my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MARTIN KAHNE.

Witnesses Jon KAI-INE, C. R. STIGKNEY.

Washington, D C. 

